Graduation
by nithila
Summary: No one wants to split up after high school. But there's nothing anyone can do about it.
1. Chapter 1

**In honour of the fact that half of my classmates will be leaving this year. And also the fact that I'm possibly the only person who cares.**

**(Written by: Nithila)**

* * *

"They're all acting strange," Oishi noted, as he, Kikumaru, and Taka watched the match between Ryoma and Momoshiro closely.

"There is a ninety-eight percent chance that you are talking about the non-third year regulars." Inui announced, popping out of nowhere.

Oishi jumped. "Gyaah, Inui! Don't scare me like that!"

"I almost had a _heart _attack, nya!_" _Eiji cried, clutching his chest dramatically.

Oishi sighed, turning back towards the match. "But they _are_ acting very strange. I wonder if they're sick...?"

"I've noticed it, too," Kikumaru scrunched his eyebrows worriedly. "I don't think any of them have been sleeping well – even _Kaidoh _looks tired. And Ochibi's actually been coming to practice early." He shook his head slightly. "It's a miracle!"

"I've noticed it, too," Fuji added, appearing out of nowhere. The regulars were talented at sneaking up on people. "The three of them don't play as well as they used to. I beat Kaidoh quite easily right now, and Momoshiro and Echizen... are barely playing at all."

As one, the third years looked at Kaidoh, who was scowling somewhere far away, and then turned back to the match in front of them.

Then, as one, they all looked at Tezuka, who was standing a few feet away from them and looking pointedly in the other direction.

"There's a ninety eight percent chance that Tezuka agrees with us," Inui informed them. Tezuka's eyebrow twitched almost unnoticeably.

There was a moment of silence.

"I know!" Kikumaru exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in delight. "We can all go and investigate after school! We'll pretend that we just want to have a really fun meeting, and then we'll corner them, and then Fujiko can use his Instant Death glare, and tell them to – "

"Actually, that won't be necessary," Inui cut in. "I already know what the problem is."

Eiji visibly deflated, and Fuji seemed somewhat disappointed.

"So, what is the problem, Inui?" Taka asked.

Inui flipped through the pages of his notebook. "I believe the three of them are upset about our graduation."

There was a pause. Taka was the first to break the silence. "...Oh."

The third years exchanged uneasy glances.

* * *

"It's nice to know that they'll miss us..." Kikumaru said later that day, as he and Fuji sat at their usual table for lunch. "But thinking about it now makes me sad, too!"

Fuji smiled gently. "It is difficult to leave, isn't it? None of us know where we're going to end up. I doubt that any of us will stay in Tokyo, actually." Fuji had already sent an application to a university in London.

"I don't want to leave, Fuji." Kikumaru said suddenly.

Fuji looked up, surprised.

Kikumaru bit his lip and frowned, shifting his gaze. "I don't want to leave. I love our school! What if everything changes after we leave? What if...we never see each other again?" He paused. "And what will I do without Momo, Kaidoh, and Ochibi? They're still going to be here for a whole year..." Kikumaru was almost on the brink of tears now. Fuji didn't respond.

"Actually, senpai, I'll be here for two years," a voice spoke up helpfully.

Kikumaru jerked his head up, eyes wide. "Ochibi?"

Ryoma smirked in response, and turned to leave.

Almost out of reflex, Kikumaru grabbed him by the arm. "Ochibi, eat with us!"

Ryoma looked at him, and then at Fuji, who was staring at him, unsmiling. He shrugged and seated himself at the table, slowly opening his bento.

All through lunch, Fuji watched his kouhai intently. The boy seemed to have noticed his gaze on him, but he was doing a good job of not caring.

The younger boy was acting more or less like he usually did, but something was off. Something was...wrong. Fuji couldn't quite put his finger on it, and that bothered him immensely.

"Ne, Ochibi, will you miss me when I'm gone?"

Ryoma blinked slowly. "Why would I? It's not like I'm never going to see you again."

Kikumaru pouted, saying something along the lines of _so heartless_ and _just like Tezuka, _but Fuji wasn't listening.

Ryoma's expression had changed. He'd averted his eyes slightly, become more tense, and if Fuji hadn't been so skilled at reading people, he wouldn't have noticed. Slowly, he turned his gaze towards Fuji, and stared at him blankly.

Fuji opened his eyes and stared back.

'_It's not just that he's going to miss us. There's something else bothering him.'_

Ryoma turned back to Kikumaru, who was still complaining about how Tezuka had polluted Ryoma's mind by turning him into a rock. Ryoma argued that he wasn't half as bad as Tezuka, and that he was actually capable of moving his facial muscles, and the conversation proceeded from there.

But despite everything, no one could get rid of the dark shadow hanging over their heads.

They all knew their time together would be over soon.

* * *

Tezuka stared at the black board, absentmindedly taking notes. This lack of attentiveness was highly out of character for him, but Tezuka couldn't help it that day. He was worried.

Contrary to the popular belief, Tezuka was not an old man with a heart of stone who lived solely to make people run laps. He was well aware of everything that happened among his team mates, and was quite capable of worrying over them as well. With the amount of trouble they gave him, Tezuka sometimes wondered why he didn't have gray hair.

He'd heard the entire conversation that the third years had had that morning, and, even before that, he'd been watching his juniors. All three of them were lagging, and barely had enough energy to last through their usual drills.

As their captain, Tezuka would have to do something about it.

* * *

"Oi, Echizen!" Momoshiro called, waving from the end of the corridor. "Want to have lunch together?"

"I don't mind."

"Great! Let's go outside, then!" Momo grabbed his wrist and dragged him along, chattering animatedly the whole way. For the most part, Ryoma didn't listen.

It was rare for the two of them to have lunch together. In middle school, they'd eaten together all the time, but after high school, they'd just...stopped. There was no particular reason for it. They'd just stopped.

They headed towards a tree near the southern entrance, and settled down to eat.

"You seem tired, Echizen," Momo said worriedly, glancing at him over is food. "Like you haven't been sleeping well."

Ryoma scowled. "Right back at you."

Momo sighed. "I know, I know." He smiled softly. "I didn't think it would be so hard to watch them leave, you know. I've known them for five years, and now...it's just...over."

_It's over._

Ryoma looked away. He didn't want to talk about this. He really didn't.

"I never knew I depended on them so much," Momo continued, talking more to himself than to Ryoma. "I spend more time with them than I do with my own classmates. And this is entirely different from leaving middle school – back then I knew we'd be together again. And sure, everything was different when we entered high school, but...we were still together, weren't we? But now..."

_It's over._

Ryoma chose not to respond. He stared hard at his food and tried to concentrate on eating.

He really didn't want to think about this.

* * *

After Tezuka dismissed the tennis club in the evening, and after the freshmen had picked up balls, Ryoma didn't go into the clubroom. He was the last person left on the courts, but he couldn't have cared less.

Actually, he hadn't even noticed yet. He was staring at the tennis courts without even realizing what he was doing.

Court D. That was where he had first played a third year regular. Inui...he was possibly the only regular Ryoma actually disliked playing against. His tennis was creepy, and so... _frustrating. _Much like the senior himself.

Court C...Aha. That was where he and Kikumaru had played doubles against Oishi and Kaidoh. That had been a disturbing match. They'd played after Momo had lost his regular spot, and the Golden pair had fought...and Inui had been so _obsessed _with defeating Tezuka.

He'd played Fuji on Court B, hadn't he? They'd asked Tezuka for a rematch, and the captain had agreed. The match had stopped half way again though. Not because of the rain, but because Kikumaru had choked after drinking something from Fuji's water bottle, and Fuji had been called to the headmaster's office for bringing _dangerous substances _to school. The man wouldn't believe that it was only Inui juice.

Ryoma looked around himself, smiling slightly as he surveyed the other spots.

That was where Tezuka always stood when he was watching the team.

That was where Fuji hid every time he stole Tezuka's glasses.

And that was where Kikumaru had tripped over a rock and sprained his wrist...

It occurred to Ryoma then that he was becoming too obsessive for his liking, and he quickly shut down his train of thought and turned to leave.

When he entered the clubroom, nearly everyone had already left. Only Fuji was still there, sitting on a bench and towelling his damp hair.

"Echizen," he said, once he opened the door. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't smiling. "I wanted to talk to you."

Ryoma certainly didn't.

* * *

**I'm not sure if I can update anything until April. I'd disappeared for so long because of my mock exams, and now I have my actual board exams.  
**

**I think I was facing withdrawal symptoms from not writing for so long.**

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends, who's leaving this year. She doesn't know I write fanfiction, but anyway.**

**I'll miss her. A lot.  
**

**Thank you to the reviewers, and to the people who added this story to their favorites!**

* * *

"Echizen," he said, once he opened the door. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't smiling. "I wanted to talk to you."

Ryoma certainly didn't. "...Now?"

Fuji seemed amused. "Why not?"

Because it would threaten his well-being, obviously. "Er...my parents will be looking for me."

Fuji seemed even more amused. "Don't worry, they won't be. Please, take a seat."

Ryoma sighed, defeated. He settled down on the bench opposite to the tensai, eying him warily.

"There's something bothering you." It was a statement, not a question, so Ryoma thought it unnecessary to respond. "And all of us have noticed."

"And Inui-senpai already told you why," Ryoma said drily. "We heard you talking during practice, senpai."

Fuji frowned slightly. "Yes, Inui told us, but both you and I know that that isn't the only problem."

Ryoma didn't respond, and Fuji didn't press him.

Fuji was a strange person. He never spoke to Ryoma much, so Ryoma never got to know him as well as he did the other regulars. However, he always seemed to know when Ryoma was upset, or angry, or was having a bad day, and would somehow turn up just when Ryoma was sure he didn't want to talk to anyone, but actually did.

Maybe it was because he didn't know his senior that well, that he found it easier to talk to him than the others. Or maybe it was just because Fuji was a manipulative freak.

They were both silent for a long time. Ryoma was thinking, and Fuji was staring at the drops of water dripping off of his damp hair and on to the floor.

"I might be going to America," Ryoma said at last.

Fuji's expression was unreadable. "For tennis?" He asked quietly, eyes still on the ground.

Ryoma shook his head. "Not really. I just don't want to stay at Seigaku anymore."

Fuji looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "And why would that be?"

Ryoma sighed. "When all of you graduated in middle school," he started, "Things turned bad. _Really _bad. The tennis team was pathetic, and all anyone would do was talk about how awesome the previous year was."

And he'd also missed the third years. The team had seemed empty without them. But he wasn't going to say that out loud.

"Then Momo-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai graduated, too, and things were even worse than before." Ryoma shook his head. He'd had a really bad time back then. "I don't want to go through that again. So, yeah. I'll probably be moving."

Fuji leaned back against the wall, eye calculating. "Have you told Momoshiro?" he asked at last.

Ryoma shook his head again. He hadn't wanted to.

"You should."

"...I know."

Fuji sighed and stood up. "Well, let's get going, ne? It's getting late. I'll wait for you outside." He picked his bag up and headed out, shutting the door softly behind him.

A couple of minutes later, Ryoma joined him.

* * *

Time was a dangerous thing.

There were days when Ryoma lay awake all night, clutching his bed sheets, hoping that if he held tight enough it would stop the next day from dawning. He held, and prayed, and hoped with all his heart, but it was all in vain. In the end, the sun would rise, and he'd be one step closer to losing everything he'd ever known.

There were days when Momo stopped talking in the middle of conversations, and chose to watch the third years around him instead. It was sad, he thought, that people only felt the need to hold on to things when they were losing them. Ryoma came over to his house one day and told him that he might be leaving, too, and Momo somehow managed to smile at him and wave it away. In the following days, he became even quieter.

Kikumaru wasn't half as good at hiding his emotions as the others were. On some days he burst into tears in broad daylight, and insisted that he _just_ _couldn't do this. _His application had already been accepted, but the university was on the other side of Japan, and he doubted that he could ever fit in and get used to his new surroundings. He didn't even want to try anymore.

Oishi would console him by telling him that he'd be there with him, but he didn't expect that to cheer him up much. As much as Kikumaru liked Oishi, he still couldn't bear the thought of leaving his hometown.

Tezuka was, without a doubt, the best at hiding his feelings. He seemed so secure, so normal, that people doubted that he even _had _feelings. Surely, their buchou would miss them? Surely, beneath that facade, he'd be at least _slightly _upset? He was moving to a different country, after all. It had to have affected him.

Kaidoh, came close to Tezuka. Not many people could tell that he was affected. But to the regulars, it was obvious. They could see it in the way he stared out at the courts, and how he'd started adjusting his training schedule when it came to team outings, instead of outright refusing to join them.

And when Tezuka named Kaidoh team captain for the following year, even Momo, as dense as he was, could tell that he was holding back tears.

Inui, on the other hand, began to ensure that his name was remembered at school. He spent time with the second and third years in the school labs, probably teaching them dangerous things, and he'd also started staying back after school, talking to the teachers about his experiments. He'd given most of his science notes to the school library for 'later reference', and people had already started using them.

Fuji...smiled at everyone. His smile was no longer his permanent facial expression, but whenever he met someone, spoke to them, or passed them in the corridors, he gave them a small, genuine smile, just to show them that he knew them, and was glad that he did. He, too, stayed back after school, chatting with the teachers, fellow students, and helping Tezuka with his student council duties.

Taka on the other hand, couldn't. He had to get back home soon to help his father out at the sushi store. But as he chopped vegetables and sliced fish, his expression would grow dreamy, wistful, longing.

"You'll miss them, won't you?" His father asked him, on the third time he burnt the food he was making.

Taka smiled sheepishly. "Of course I will."

On that night, Ryoma held onto his covers tightly, but the sun rose anyway.

And, finally, it was graduation day.

* * *

'Congratulations', Ryoma decided later on, was a difficult word to say.

He sat in the last row of the school auditorium, and thanks to his height, had trouble seeing anything happening on stage. He sat next to Kachirou, who seemed strangely contemplative, and Sakuno, who wasn't saying anything at all.

At last, all the students arrived, and everyone rose to sing the national anthem. When they settled down again, the headmaster took the stage, and everyone fell silent. For the most part, Ryoma didn't listen to his speech.

When the speech ended, the homeroom teachers came up, one by one, and called the names of the third years for attendance. Tezuka's response was a quiet, "Here." So was Oishi's. Fuji sounded amused, and Kikumaru was enthusiastic. Inui sounded fairly normal. Taka was initially shy, and then he randomly burst into a "HERE! HERE! BURNING!"

Tezuka, the class representative, was called up to receive a diploma on behalf of the class, and then Fuji, the class speaker, was called up to make a speech. This time, Ryoma listened.

Fuji stood quietly at the podium for a moment, simply looking around him. Then slowly, he smiled, and then thanked everyone in the auditorium for the past three years of his life.

He talked about his classmates, and his teachers. He apologized specifically to his history teacher for making her life so difficult. Then he spoke about their school trips, class outings, and the simple moments that seem to mean nothing at all, but for some reason, are etched so firmly in our memories.

Stupid arguments. Fights. Random silly moments. Making fools of ourselves. Standing up for what we think is right. Endless conversations, pointless talks. Driving each other crazy. Laughing. Crying. Winning, losing, _belonging._

"_Seishun High made us who we are today," _Fuji said at last, eyes shining. _"And it will be a part of us forever."_

There were claps and cheers as Fuji left the stage, and if Ryoma strained his neck, he could see Kikumaru crying in his seat.

The next couple of hours were a blur. Speeches were made, songs were sung, people laughed and hugged and cried, and Ryoma sat through it all at the back of the auditorium, where no one could even see him.

At last, the ceremony ended, and everyone rose to go. It was Momoshiro who found him first, and he grabbed his arm and dragged him outside, where all the other regulars were waiting.

"Team photograph!" Kikumaru announced, grinning widely. His eyes were still slightly red, and there were tear stains on his face, but his smile was genuine enough.

They kidnapped a random second year to take the photo, and they all, including Tezuka and Kaidoh, huddled together and smiled for all they were worth. Or, as in the case of the aforementioned two, just smiled. Once the photo was taken, the group broke up, and the third years continued taking photos with their own classmates, while the other three stood to the side.

"They're really leaving, aren't they," Momo mused quietly.

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah." Kaidoh hissed softly.

They stared at their former teammates blankly, watching them run around the campus for the last time. _Congratulations, _Ryoma wanted to say. _And thank you for these past six years. I've had the best time of my life._

But his throat was dry, and no words would come out.

* * *

Hours later, he and Momoshiro sat silently on the swings at the park, dragging their feet against the ground.

Someone cleared their voice behind them, and they both jumped. Fuji smiled at them.

"Everyone's waiting for you at the school courts," he told them, "I suggest you hurry up."

* * *

Sure enough, all the other regulars were there, and once they arrived, Kikumaru pounced on them and gave them a bear hug. It took them a while to escape, and all nine regulars sat on the ground, side by side, leaning against the walls of the clubroom.

No one spoke. It was late, and the stars shone brightly in the sky. There were streetlights somewhere far away as well, but for the most part, they were in darkness.

"It was fun," Oishi said lightly, around ten minutes later. "I loved it."

"I'll miss this," Fuji spoke quietly.

They were silent once more.

"Everyone, don't let your guards down," Tezuka said sternly.

There was a pause. Then Kikumaru giggled.

Momoshiro joined him. Then Echizen, and Taka, and Fuji, until all of them were rolling around and laughing for no reason whatsoever.

"Mada mada dane," Momo added, in the midst of his laughter.

"Rikutsu janai," Kikumaru shrieked.

"Hoi, hoi, nya," Fuji said, grinning.

"Oi, Fuji, you're saying it wrong!"

It took them a long time to calm down, and even after they did, their laughter echoed in the darkness around them.

They knew, in a few days, they might never see each other again.

It hurt, and that made them laugh all the harder.

* * *

**.  
**

**.**

**That's it.**


End file.
